Change is inevitable, yet sometimes it can feel like trying to push a boulder uphill when your team isn't on board. Understanding change commitment and how to foster it, can help.
Commitment to change refers to a person's determination to take actions that they believe are necessary to successfully carrying out a change. It’s a way of thinking that motivates them to stick to a course of action. Those of us leading change want that course of action to be aligned with the direction of the change!
Herscovitch and Meyer developed a model that defines three types of change commitment, which can be helpful to demystify the concept. These different types of commitment are driven by beliefs about the change or the broader change context and are associated with different kinds of behaviors or actions related to the change.
Affective Change Commitment (Emotion-based)
Affective change commitment is based on emotions. When someone has affective commitment to a change, they genuinely want to be a part of it. It is driven by a sense that the change is beneficial and essential. It is often associated with championing and cooperation during change. People who feel an emotional commitment to the change are often willing to make sacrifices to make the change happen.
For example, if an organization is introducing a new customer relationship management (CRM) system, employees who feel an emotional commitment to the change would be excited about the potential benefits of the system, such as improved customer service, increased sales, and better data management. They would be willing to invest time and effort into learning the new system and helping others in the organization to do the same.
Examples of questions that surface affective commitment (Herscovitch & Meyer, 2002)
Normative Commitment (Values-based)
Normative commitment is driven by personal or professional values. When someone has normative commitment, they feel a sense of obligation to support the change because they believe it is the right thing to do. They see supporting the change as part of their job or being a team player. We might expect to see staff who feel a sense of obligation to cooperate during change. These employees are willing to make small sacrifices to ensure the change succeeds.
For example, if an organization is implementing a new safety policy, employees who feel a normative commitment to the change would support it because they believe it is important to keep their colleagues safe. They would be willing to follow the new policy, even if it meant making changes to their work routine or taking additional safety measures.
Examples of questions that surface normative commitment (Herscovitch & Meyer, 2002)